The author of The M Room, about the Germans and Austrians who eavesdropped on Britain's Nazi PoWs during the second world war, says authors have to consider unconventional publishing options in a fast-changing market, writes Ian Cobain

Mark Edwards has self-published and been traditionally published. Indie authors are less respected, he says, and it's hard to break the top 10 if your book costs more than £1 - but there's never been a better time to be an author

In the first of our series showcasing the best in self-publishing, Polly Courtney explains how, after falling out with her publisher over their 'chick-lit' branding of her novels, she decided to go it alone. The result is her new novel, Feral Youth